KRG to compensate earthquake victims, EU joins repair effort

Two children sitting next to the remains of a house in the town of Darbandikhan after it suffered some of the most serious damage in the Kurdistan Region. Photo: Rudaw/Sartip Othman

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and members of his cabinet visited the quake-hit city of Darbandikhan on Tuesday where he promised to compensate those affected by the tremor.

After meeting with the affected families in Darbandikhan PM Nechirvan Barzani vowed in a press briefing that they will be compensated and their houses rebuilt once a committee tasked with assessing the damages has concluded its work.

Barzani also revealed that a special budget has been allocated at Sulaimani province to reimburse victims of the earthquake.

The ministers of interior, health, municipality, education, agriculture and the deputy prime minister accompanied Barzani on the visit to the town and areas most affected by Sunday’s strong earthquake that killed nine people and injured hundreds of others.

The Prime Minister added that upon a request from the KRG the European Union had agreed to send a team to repair the damage sustained by the Darbandikhan Dam.

Local officials told Rudaw that repairing the dam may cost the KRG $12 million and the health sector will need $4.8 million.

A Rudaw reporter in Darbandikhan said two American and Italian teams were in town assessing the damages done to the dam.